Contact Us

TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 16

Translation and Transliteration of 

1The portion that fell by lot to the Josephites ran from the Yarden at Yericho—from the waters of Yericho east of the wilderness. From Yericho it ascended through the hill country to Beit El.

vai-YAY-tzay ha-go-RAL liv-NAY yo-SAYF mi-YAR-dayn yi-RI-kho l'-MEY yi-RI-kho miz-ra-KHA ha-mid-BAR o-LEH mi-yi-RI-kho ba-HAR bayt-AYL

אוַיֵּצֵ֨א הַגּוֹרָ֜ל לִבְנֵ֤י יוֹסֵף֙ מִיַּרְדֵּ֣ן יְרִיח֔וֹ לְמֵ֥י יְרִיח֖וֹ מִזְרָ֑חָה הַמִּדְבָּ֗ר עֹלֶ֧ה מִירִיח֛וֹ בָּהָ֖ר בֵּֽית־אֵֽל׃

2From Beit El it ran to Luz and passed on to the territory of the Archites at Ataroth,

v'-ya-TZA mi-bayt EL LU-zah v'-a-VAR el g'-VUL ha-ar-KEE a-ta-ROT

בוְיָצָ֥א מִבֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל ל֑וּזָה וְעָבַ֛ר אֶל־גְּב֥וּל הָאַרְכִּ֖י עֲטָרֽוֹת׃

 16:2   From Beit El it ran

Sign indentifying Yaakov’s rock at Beit El

Beit El, located in the territory of the tribe of Binyamin, near the border with Efraim, has an important place in Jewish history. It is near the site where Avraham built an altar and called out in Hashem’s name (Genesis 12:8). It is where Yaakov prayed, and dreamt about the angels ascending and descending a ladder that reached to the heavens (Genesis 28:12). It was also there that Yaakov received the promise that his children would inherit the Land of Israel (28:14). In 1838, the famous biblical archaeologist Edward Robinson identified the ancient site of Beit El. Following the Six Day War, a modern Jewish community was founded adjacent to the ancient site, and given the same name. Contemporary Beit El is the home of hundreds of Jewish families who are raising their children in the city of their forefathers.

3descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon and Gezer, and ran on to the Sea.

v'-ya-RAD ya-MAH el g'-VUL ha-ya-f'-LE-tee ad g'-VUL bayt-KHO-ron takh-TON v'-ad ga-ZER v'-ha-YU to-t'-O-tav ya-MAH

גוְיָֽרַד־יָ֜מָּה אֶל־גְּב֣וּל הַיַּפְלֵטִ֗י עַ֣ד גְּב֧וּל בֵּית־חוֹרֹ֛ן תַּחְתּ֖וֹן וְעַד־גָּ֑זֶר וְהָי֥וּ תֹצְאֹתָ֖ו יָֽמָּה׃

4Thus the Josephites—that is, Menashe and Efraim—received their portion.

vai-yin-kha-LU v'-nay yo-SEF m'-na-SHEH v'-ef-RA-yim

דוַיִּנְחֲל֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יוֹסֵ֖ף מְנַשֶּׁ֥ה וְאֶפְרָֽיִם׃

5The territory of the Ephraimites, by their clans, was as follows: The boundary of their portion ran from Atroth-addar on the east to Upper Beth-horon,

vai-HI g'-VUL b'-nay e-fra-YIM l'-mish-p'-kho-TAM, vai-HI g'-VUL na-kha-LA-tam miz-RA-khah, at-ROT a-DAR ad-bayt kho-RON el-YON

הוַיְהִ֛י גְּב֥וּל בְּנֵֽי־אֶפְרַ֖יִם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם וַיְהִ֞י גְּב֤וּל נַחֲלָתָם֙ מִזְרָ֔חָה עַטְר֣וֹת אַדָּ֔ר עַד־בֵּ֥ית חוֹרֹ֖ן עֶלְיֽוֹן׃

6and the boundary ran on to the Sea. And on the north, the boundary proceeded from Michmethath to the east of Taanath-shiloh and passed beyond it up to the east of Janoah;

v'-ya-TZA ha-ge-VUL ha-YA-ma ha-mikh-ME-tat mi-TZA-fon v'-NA-sav ha-ge-VUL mi-zra-KHA ta-a-NAT shi-LO v'-a-VAR o-TO mi-miz-RAKH ya-NO-kha

ווְיָצָ֨א הַגְּב֜וּל הַיָּ֗מָּה הַֽמִּכְמְתָת֙ מִצָּפ֔וֹן וְנָסַ֧ב הַגְּב֛וּל מִזְרָ֖חָה תַּאֲנַ֣ת שִׁלֹ֑ה וְעָבַ֣ר אוֹת֔וֹ מִמִּזְרַ֖ח יָנֽוֹחָה׃

7from Janoah it descended to Ataroth and Naarath, touched on Yericho, and ran on to the Yarden.

v'-ya-RAD mi-ya-NO-kha a-ta-ROT u-na-a-RA-ta, u-fa-GA b'-yi-RI-kho, v'-ya-TZA ha-yar-DEN

זוְיָרַ֥ד מִיָּנ֖וֹחָה עֲטָר֣וֹת וְנַעֲרָ֑תָה וּפָגַע֙ בִּֽירִיח֔וֹ וְיָצָ֖א הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

8Westward, the boundary proceeded from Tapuach to the Wadi Kanah and ran on to the Sea. This was the portion of the tribe of the Ephraimites, by their clans,

mi-ta-PU-akh ye-LEKH ha-ge-VUL ya-MAH na-KHAL ka-NAH v'-ha-YU to-t'-O-tav ha-ya-MAH zoT na-kha-LAT ma-TEH v'-nay ef-RA-yim l'-mish-p'-KHO-tam

חמִתַּפּ֜וּחַ יֵלֵ֨ךְ הַגְּב֥וּל יָ֙מָּה֙ נַ֣חַל קָנָ֔ה וְהָי֥וּ תֹצְאֹתָ֖יו הַיָּ֑מָּה זֹ֗את נַחֲלַ֛ת מַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־אֶפְרַ֖יִם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃

9together with the towns marked off for the Ephraimites within the territory of the Manassites—all those towns with their villages.

v'-he-a-RIM ha-miv-da-LOT li-v'-NAY ef-RA-yim b'-toch na-kha-LAT b'-NAY m'-na-SHEH, kol ha-a-RIM v'-chatz-ray-HEN

טוְהֶעָרִ֗ים הַמִּבְדָּלוֹת֙ לִבְנֵ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם בְּת֖וֹךְ נַחֲלַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה כׇּל־הֶעָרִ֖ים וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃

10However, they failed to dispossess the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites remained in the midst of Efraim, as is still the case. But they had to perform forced labor.

v'-LO ho-REE-shu et ha-k'-na-a-NEE ha-yo-SHEV b'-ga-ZER va-YAY-shev ha-k'-na-a-NEE b'-KE-rev ef-RA-yim ad ha-YOM ha-ZEH va-Y'-hee l'-mas o-VED

יוְלֹ֣א הוֹרִ֔ישׁוּ אֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י הַיּוֹשֵׁ֣ב בְּגָ֑זֶר וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֜י בְּקֶ֤רֶב אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ עַד־הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיְהִ֖י לְמַס־עֹבֵֽד׃